The Flanagan Memo --Re: A good idea to honor Kirby Puckett; overseeing those enormous housing developments with a vote, perhaps -- and how about that new park near the Guthrie on the riverfront?

Stadium name game

Kevin Dillehay from Rochester suggested in a letter to the editor of the Star Tribune that a new Minnesota Twinsstadium be named for Kirby Puckett.

It's a superb idea, actually, the only idea.

Let's hear it for Kirbeeee Puckett Stadium -- and soon!

Having our say

Are there building plans in Minneapolis that concern you? Well, why not vote on them? What kind of a vote? Well, let me explain.

When I was in Naples, Fla., recently, the city offered ordinary folks who live or visit there the chance to view several architectural plans for a downtown intersection. Everybody was invited to drop in, look at the plans and vote on the ones they liked the best.

It wasn't meant as a binding vote, but there was one surprise: the winning plan would receive $10,000. (It was won by a Naples architect.)

In addition, the architects were given feedback on their projects. And why not some public input?

The event got me to thinking that we could try the voting process here on a project that has caused some commotion -- such as the plan to use the Pillsbury A Mill in a riverfront redevelopment.

I am for reviving the historic mill, and the plan to turn it into condos seems ideal. But the developer includes four high-rise buildings surrounding it. The Heritage Preservation Commission said the towers would "dwarf" the mill -- and they will.

And yes, I know, you need tall buildings with lots of apartments in them to make these projects financially feasible.

The Minneapolis City Council has approved the project; Mayor R.T. Rybak supports it and so does this newspaper. But I'll bet lots of just plain folks would like to speak up, pointing out that the designs for the buildings -- at 15, 20, 24 and 27 stories -- are too tall.

We could have had a vote on that. It wouldn't have stopped the project, but it might have given developer Schafer Richardson some new thoughts. At least they said they would redesign the towers' exteriors to be more similar to the A Mill.

There's still time to have a public or a neighborhood vote on new development in the Uptown area or in Loring Park, where a 48-story tower has been proposed.

Voting to express an opinion isn't such a bad idea. Neither is a public design review board. Could we hope the mayor and the council might agree on both?